End Of The Line

By
wbng sports

March 8, 2011Updated Mar 8, 2011 at 11:19 PM EDT

(WBNG Binghamton)

Later this week, the Broome County high school hockey association will crown it's champion. Vestal will face Chenango Valley for the title. After the season is over, so is the 15 year tenure of the Vestal coaches.

Action Sports Reporter Gabe Osterhout spoke to them about their coaching career, the players and the thing they will miss the most.

"It's been 30 years total, 15 years at the high school and it really doesn't seem that long."

This weekend will be the last time Bob Laubisch and Ken Baker are in charge of the Vestal high school hockey team. The two have been coaching the team for the past 15 years. Laubisch has been the head coach for the last 7.

They say they'll miss the excitement of the game. But it's the players they'll miss the most.

Laubisch says, "It's just been a pleasure and an honor to be around the players because they have such a passion for the game that it goes fast. 15 years sounds like a long time but we can almost remember back to most of the players."

Baker adds, "They just love the game, they love the sport, they love to play and you just try to do the best you can to facilitate their having a good time."

The two have some very fond memories of the past 15 seasons. One stands out. Vestal was playing rival Union-Endicott in the championship and it came right down to the very last second.

"Toby Rice scored the game winning goal like a split second before the buzzer."

Both men have a passion for the game of hockey. Baker hopes to be able to come to most of Vestal's games next year. Laubisch will continue his coaching career, helping the Broome Community College hockey team.

Though they didn't always have a player on the team, they say the last 15 years has been worthwhile. And hope they made a difference for the players.

"We hope over the course of 15 years, you hope you had a positive impact on at least a couple of kids you coached."

But before they walk away, they still have at least one, if not two games left to coach. They say they're going to leave it all on the ice.

And have no regrets when the season, and their careers are over. For this week's Action Sports Spotlight, I'm Gabe Osterhout.